The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-12-16
BLAINE INTERVIEWED.


Tax.
NEW YoRK, Dec. S.-The Tribune contains
long interview with Hon. James q.
Blaine on President Cleveland-s message.
It ID ~ follows: II have been reading an
abstract Of the Presidents message and
have been especially interested in the COM.
ments OF the London papers. Those papers.
all assume to declare the message a free
trade manifesto and evidently are antici--
piting an enlarged market for English
fabrics in the United States as u conse-
Queuce Of the Presidents recommends
tons. Perhaps that fact stamped the char
acter Of the message more clearly than any
worIs of mine can"
"You don't mean actual free trad with.
out duty" quer;cd the reporter.
no." replied Mr.. Blaine, nor do the
London papers mean that They simply
mean that the President has recommended
what In the United States is known as q
revenue tariff, rejecting the protection
features as an object and not even permit
ting protection to result freely as IN Incl
dent to revenue Duties"
II don't know that / quite compi ehend
that last point" said the reporter.
Il mean," said Mr.. Blaine, shat for the
first time in the history of the United
States the President recommends retaining
the internal tax in order that the tariff may
be forced down even below the fair reve--
nue. standard. He recommends that the
tax on tobacco be retained, ami thus that
many millions annually shall be LEVIED on
a domestic product, which would far bet
ter come from tariff on foreign fabrics"
'Then do you mean to imply that you
would favor the repeal Of the tobacco.
taxr'
Certainly; mean just that" said Mr.
Blaine. II should urge that it be done ut.
once, before the Christmas holidays
1t would in the first place bring great
relief to growers Of tobacco all over
the country, and would materially
lessen the price of the article to consun-
ers. Tobacco to millions of men is a
necessity. The President calls it IL luxury,
but it is a luxury in no other sense than tea
and coffee are luxuries. 1t is well to re-
member that the luxury of yesterday be-
comes q necessity of to-day -~
"Wel, then, Mr.. Blaine, would you adj
wise the repeal OF the whisky taxn'
mo, would not. Other considerations
than those OF a financial administration are
to be taken into account with regard to.
whisky. There is a moral side to it. L
would use the tax to fortify our cities on
the scabOard. In view OF the powerful let
ter addressed to the Democratic party on
the subject of fertilization by the late Sam
uel j. Tilden, in 1885, am amazed that no
attention has been paid to the subject by
the Democratic administration"
'.But,'' said the reporter, ssyou don't
think we are to nave war in any direc--
tionf'
Certainly not" said Mr.. Blaine.
Neither. Ipresume, did Mr.. Tilden when
he wrote his remarkable letter. But we
should change remote chance into an alb
solute impossibility if our weak and ex-
posed points were strongly fortified. II to-
day we had by any chance such "a war as
we had with Mexico, our enemy could pro-
cure ironclads in Europe that would men,
ace our great cities with destruction or lay
them under contribution"
''But would not our terrifying now posi-
bly, look as if VIC expected war."S
''Why should it any more than the forth
cations made seventy or eighty years ago
by our grandfathers when they guarded
against successful attack from.
the armament of that day. We don't neces--
sarily expect a burglar because we lock our
doors ut night, but if by any possibility q
burglar comes it contributes vastly to our
peace OF mind and our sound sleep to feel
that he can't get in"
''But after the Notifications should be-
would you still maintain the
tax on whiskyg'
YES" said Mr. Blaine. $50 long a..
there IS whisky to tax would tax it, aud
when the National Governments should have
no use for the money I would divide tho
tax among the Federal Union with the
specific object Of tightening the tax on real
estate. Tie houses and farms OF the whole
pay too large proportion Of the
total taxes"
After q few moments silence Mr.. Blaine
added that in his judgment the whisky tax
should be so modified as to permit all who
used pure alcohol in the arts or in mechan-
ical pursuits to have it free of tax.
"Besides your general and sweeping OPP
position to the Presidents recommends
tion have you any further specific objec-
tiOnP'
ayes" answered Mr.. Blaine, II should
object to the repea. Of the duty on
wool. The repeal OF that would work great
to many interests and would Sc
riOusly discourage what we should earn
estly encourage, namely, the sheep culture
among farmers throughout the Union. To
break down wool growing and he depend
ent on foreign countries for the blanket ur--
der which we sleep and the coat that covers.
our backs is not a wise policy for the Ma
tloDal Government to enforce.o
'Do you think if the Presidents recon-.
were adopted 1t would increase
our export trader
POSSIBLY in some few articles Of pecu-
liar construction 1t might, but it would IN
crease our import trade ten fold as much i'm
the great staple fabrics, in wooden and COT
ton goods, in iron, in steel, in all the thou
sand and one shapes in which they are
How are we to export staple
fabrics to the markets Of Europe and how
are we to manufacture them cheaper tina
they do in Europe unless we get cheaper
labor than they have in Europe."
Then you think that the question OF
labor underiies the whole subjecti'
''Of course it does" replied Mr. Blaine.
'Itis, in fact. the entire question. When
ever we can force carpenters, masons, iron
workers and mechanics in every depart
ment to work as cheaply and live as poorly
in the United States as similar workmen in
Europe, we can, OF course, manufacture.
just as cheaply as they do in England and
France. But l am totally opposed to .
policy that would entail such results. To-
attempt it is equivalent to social and
revolution, and that would bring
untold distress"
What about the existing surplusf'
1.-THE abstract Of the message l have
seem" replied Mr.. Blaine, contains no.
reference to that point. l therefore make
no comment further than to indorse Mr.
Fred Grants remark that a surplus is al
WAYS easier to handle than q deficit"
The reporter repeated the questions
y neither the Presidents recommendation
would not. if adopted, give US the advan-
tage Of larger increase in exports thane
n n nfOra